Despite being expelled from three prep schools by the time he was 18, Niles Grant was still the apple of his mother's eye. She loved him much more than she loved his father. The animosity in the Grant household was heavy and oppressive; all the more reason for Niles to stay away. There was always a fun time going on somewhere. If he wasn't sailing in Newport he was playing tennis in Palm Springs. There was one small problem. He had no prospects for furthering his education. His father and grandfather were Yale alumni. That wasn't in the cards for him with barely passing grades and a long list of infractions. No Ivy League institution would consider him no matter how large a donation Daddy made.
His father could certainly grease the wheels at a smaller, private university in Denver. He hated the cold, but he actually enjoyed his studies in broadcast journalism. His looks and smooth manner fit perfectly with a career as a television reporter. Of course, his ultimate goal was to be an anchorman on either the right or left coast after putting in adequate time in the trenches. Abilene, Texas was dusty and desolate and a tiny TV market. There was nothing glamorous about his job. Interviewing the young, pimple-scarred manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken after a break-in wasn't going to get him noticed by the major affiliates. He was very aware of this fact.
Consoling himself at the local watering hole took up much of his free time. He always had his cameraman and compadre, Ken Fisher, by his side. They could be drinking or filming a segment for the evening newscast. It didn't matter what they were doing; what mattered was the fact they were doing it together, combining their talents was proving to be successful. Ken knew Niles was restless and unhappy and it made him nervous. He liked Abilene and he liked his job. He didn't want Niles moving on without him, but it was inevitable.
Phoenix was the next stop for Niles followed a year later by a job offer in Los Angeles. He hadn't seen Ken since he left Abilene, but they talked on the phone a couple of times a month. Ken was skilled at his job; he knew how to make Niles look good and Niles missed that. Niles made it possible for Ken to move to California, and join him as a member of the Action 8 News Center team.
As a popular reporter Niles had more than his share of friends and invitations to prestigious events. Perfect, straight white teeth; a trim build; charming sense of humor and a seemingly endless source of money endeared him to the country club crowd. He was comfortable in that environment. He and his wife, Missy, spent most evenings entertaining judges, media moguls, and politicians. Missy was from a prominent LA family. Her father liked Niles, but he wanted him to be more ambitious. There was always family money, on both sides. Still, TV reporters weren't millionaires even in Los Angeles and her father wanted more for Missy.
Anchor positions are rarely available. Niles could see the handwriting on the wall. He would be a balding, middle-age man with a gut before he would get a shot at his dream job. Missy's father had to call in a few favors, but he helped Niles land a position as director of communications for the junior senator from California. The salary was only slightly higher, but he now had entrée into the world of politics. It was a natural fit. He was born for it, and he was good at it. His old friend, Ken, stayed on in broadcasting. The two remained buddies, and Ken was always loyal to the man who made it possible for him to have a better career in a bigger market.
Niles was assured a bright future. That was before he met Erica. She ran the LA office for the senator. She and Niles were combustible. They clashed almost constantly, but the sexual chemistry was dynamite. He fell into an affair easily. Erica was young, beautiful and very troubled. Cocaine was their drug of choice. It fueled their days enabling them to work twice as hard as most people. Their nights were spent together usually drinking at some political event or fundraiser. His marriage was over, and it was becoming increasingly obvious to his closest friends and a few co-workers that he couldn't handle the drugs and alcohol. What had been a bright future was looking pretty dim.
The senator lost his bid for re-election. Niles lost his job and Erica. He was always resilient though. Thankfully, his bad boy behavior was kept under wraps for the most part. Through his connections he was hired to be the head of operations for the LA Convention Center. He wasn't truly qualified for the position, but he certainly looked the part and he was still as smooth as ever. It was a good job, and he felt lucky to have it. He knew he had to clean up his act. Stop the drinking and drugs and stop the women. He could control the booze and with Erica out of the picture, cocaine was not as tempting as before. He would do a line every now and then, but it didn't rule his life. The problem was women.
Ken Fisher had problems too. Due to staff cutbacks he was laid off at the TV station. It didn't really bother him at the time. He was tired of chasing news stories with a heavy camera on his shoulder. He'd always had an interest in investigative work, and he was ready for something new. He joined a private investigation firm, and learned the ropes from the ground up. The firm offered various services; such as, running background checks for companies hiring new employees and providing security personnel for events and individuals, mostly celebrities, needing protection. Ken met a lot of police officers, including Steve Riggans, through his work coordinating off-duty cops to work as security personnel.
Money was always a little tight for Ken. Admittedly, he wasn't the best at handling his finances, but he had a little put aside from his days as a cameraman. He used that money to invest in the firm. He became business partners with his employers. Business was good, and after the September 11 terrorist attacks business was booming. His firm conducted background checks, and that area of the business took off after the attacks. There was also an increased need for security personnel. Financial success was new to Ken, and he made a classic rookie mistake. He left all financial matters to his partners. That was not a good idea. His two partners were skimming money straight from the top.
His firm went belly up to his great surprise when he showed up for work three years ago. His partners had cleaned out the bank account, and disappeared with everything that wasn't nailed down. That's when his old friend Niles Grant came to his rescue with a job offer at the convention center. Both were aware they were climbing back down the ladder of success, but at least they were a team again.